Synchronizer



Aug. 15, 1950 E. E. EATON 2,519,032

I SYNCHRONIZER Filed Sept. 12, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 15, 1950 I E. E. EATON 2,519,032

. SYNCHRONIZER Filed Sept. 12, 1947 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @'fgf. a

Patented Aug; 15, 1950 UNITED QFFmE I 2;519, o32 I eWQ HI-em Ernest "Eaton, "Buchanan, assig-nor to smank fiqmpmem Q mran, fiuchanan, Mob

a corporat gm ;c. M chigan V ygppfieatiqn iseptembep 12, 1947, SeriafN'o. macs (o1. mess) invention telates to synchrmfizers and more particularly is concerned with synchrotnizers of :the type diselosed in my coepending appiieation, Seria1 Ne. 173-;7Q9, September 12, 1947with certain vchanges :and modifications intheeons'tr-ucticn thereof. 1 1

One object of the present inventioniis to pm v'ide a synehronizer in which the clutch ihub'istso formed as toprevide a radiaHy-extendinginten-r rupted annuiar r in g *portionwhich :is suitabie for use: as a yoke. collar to be .eengaged the. shifting-mechanism. 1 I Anotheruobjec-t "ofiet-he apresentrinvention is do provide a construction in which the lsynehro 'nizer cones are formed into a 'uniti -assemhl f r use with the clutch tmbiby @means; of tcimum-h ferentially spaced.an:cuateiy-r-snepedmetal.stammv ings acting both .as rigid sparring members between the 'synchrQn-izer cones. and a1so es the members for producing the ibioekin .t-atetien the-actuation of :the .synchnonizer and 01 :ktold v in the detent. spring-s iwtthin "the .synehmnizex against shitting movement, 1 r

- "iSt iIL another object. wof :the :present invention is to :provide a synchtolfizenzoi this-a ynei nfitihi lf the. clutch 1111b, extendingierms and xolseeellet are formedassanzinteenafiqr i e3 eh remixes. relativelyiinexpensive:mach m H 51 com -1 m t "it .ifor assembly I a. .smcht.. e

mechanism. l "Other objects :and invention, such ,as.:1-=e duction west; of menufeature, tease :01 assembling; ndd i will :bewmoreanparentcfiromthe iokkowi ie. etafl ddeseription which, -taken :in icemiunet en accompanying drawings. zd selese to these skilled in the ant, the.=partieula kconstmction operation of 1a. 'z-pxeierredsiertml .et the. present inyention. flinthedrawingsz; t Figure 1 is an end elevationelwiettmtasm I ehronizer' "embodying :;.the present invention.

substan ialiii- Vadtiantages f the, zpreefiiet and 801' the usual chamfered w e at endsof the hub; portion thereof. m i

"The elutehhuh I has an extending annular flange 1eor-ticn' 9, whieh is interrupted at in, cumferentialty spaced points, as indicated at 10: in Figure 4, to provide openings therein. -'F he se openings I=B-are defined at'theieinner {end- :by' machined surfaces ll of amuate form, :thesesur faces being located at eaeh of :the openings M and there prefesabiy being three or more efsueh openings formed in the flange 9. The remaining portion of the flange-'9 intermediate theepeni-ngs {'0 extends radially outwardly, as indicatedet ti, projecting through the synehronizep sleeve as sembly" to be described :heseinaf tee and forming an interrupted annular woke seller for engagement "bythe shift actuatingmeehanism. The

edges OffPOItiOHS *13', define-the openings; 1 0, in the periphery of theciutch hub, are beweied to' provide wedge shaped edges 44, as shown clearly Figure 1 and are preieraibl-y slightiy flatted'at' the top, as indicated at E5, seas-Eta present no sharp eer-ners to-the enoirelmg yoke by which the clutch hub is to be shifted.

The 'synehronizersleeve assembiy cempnises a pair of axially spaced synehrenizes ringsti and H preferabiy fcrmed ef' bronze are heid in definite spaced relationship by means =-6ff arcuate formed metai-stampings M; which have latez al edges +9 disposed in recessed pontiens the'per-iphery of the rings t6 and N, soas tosbe firmly embedded therein, and are *firmlysec-urfl in position *by means or-the -1=ivets 20. These lateral edges 1 are also provided with sheet; eireumferentiaily extending end portions :to provide' 'for seeure IocKing-ofthe rings i i-and M in fixed paral-leispaced relationship to :previde the complete syne'hrenizee-sleeve assem'eiy.

The intermediate pertionsrof theaspaceigs 5.9;. between the rings 5H9 and W, are provided with opposed inwardiy "str-uck ear portiens 2-3, shown in Figures 1 and f3, w'hieh ear poetiens: are adapted to extend into slotted openings :24, formed in a spring -memben, mdieated generality at 25, which-=spr ing--member-is shown cleeri Figure =4. The spring member 25 is :thu held aga'mst eircumferential shifting- Joy mezinsthese ears 1'23, which "hotditagainst relative cocking .with'in the :opening 10. The spring is -.-prov ided= with laterally extendingpeetions i8, bearing: against; :the adjacent. walls {eff the rings. A16. and it to loeatewthesexineqzmembez against. any possibie lateral mevtemene I thawing mgiany tspaced external ekutcla; iteeth {5, into a substantialslyeelolsedwsshaneewithaihe mt corners thereof, indicated at 21, being slotted as shown clearly at 21' in Figure 3, for a purpose to be described in detail hereinafter. The extend ing leg portions of the spring 25 are provided with down turned wings 28 on opposite sides of the machined surfaces l2 of the clutch hub, prowedge shaped edges M of the. clutch hub exten- In the operation of the mechanism thus far described, assuming that the synchronizer is in the neutral position shown in Figure 3, and it is desired to shift thesameaxially to the left to engage the clutch'teeth fl thereof, with an adjacent clutch element of .an associated gear, the initial operation comprises shifting, by means of a; -shift actuator. engaging the peripherally extending portions i3 of the clutch hub, the entire any way departing from the underlying princiassembly toward theleft. Since the saddle por tion 2 i of the spring rides onthe surface [2 of the; clutch hub, theentireassembly moves as a unituntil the conical surface 33 of the synchronizerring l6 engages the corresponding conical surfaceof the associated gear. This produces a frictional drag tending to bring the associated gearand the synchronizer sleeve structure up to synchronous speed, which, in turn, produces relative-rotation between the sleeve assembly and the clutch hub, forcing thecorresponding edges [4 of the extensions l3 into the wedge shaped notches of-the members [8.- This produces ablocking actioncpreventingfurther axial shifting of the assembly as a whole and pressure is built up on the adjacent camming surfaces 34 and 35, shown in Figure'l, producing greater frictional drag to bring the-synchronizer sleeve and the associated gear into synchronous relationship. As this occurs, the shiftingpressure forces the clutch hub further to theleft, producing a slight rotative action duegto the camming action of the surfaces 34 and 735, and also forcing the end portions or saddles 29 of the spring elements 25 outwardly to allowindependent movement of the clutch hub 5 to the left,'bringing the gear I into meshing engagement with the associated clutch teeth of the adjacent gear. The camming action heretofore mentioned has a tendency to rotate the clutch teeth 1 relative the-teeth of the adjacent gear, to prevent endwise abutment therebetween, and provide asmooth clutching action.

. lfthe shift; is madevin. the opposite direction to'disengage the synchronizer, the clutch hub 5 is first moved to the right, disengaging the teeth I; fromthe associated gear, and as it moves further inthisdirection, the surfaces l2 thereof, moveinto alinement with-the saddle portions 29 of the spring 25, thereby centeringthe synchronizer sleeve with respect to the clutch :hub in the. neutralposition tovcondition the same for another clutching engagement. The openings 21', formedin-the bent corners of thespring are to provide clearance for the inner edges '36 of thevwedge shaped ends Mfof'the extensions" l3 to clear the springs as they-move into the notches 30 formedfiat oppositesides of the intermediate portion'of thespacer membersjllh ples thereof, and I therefore do not intend to be limited except as defined by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

H 1. In a synchronizer, a clutch hub member having a radially extending annular flange formed with circumferentially spaced openings, synchronizer sleeve means having spacer members extending transversely of said annular flange throughthe'openings in the latter, spring means in each of said openings comprising a, substantially closed U-shaped spring member having leg portions extending toward each other and extending transversely of said annular flange beneath said spacer members,-said leg portions being recessed adjacent their ends to form a saddle portion for seating over the walls at the inner ends of said openings, said spacer members at opposite sides of said annular flange having inwardly projecting ear portions, and the bight portions o said spring-members having slotted openings at the oppositeends thereof into which said ear per-- tions project for preventing circumferential shifting movement of said spring members relative to said synchronizer sleeve means.

2. In a synchronizer, a clutch hub member having a radially extending flange formed with circumferentially spaced openings defined by edges extending radially inwardl of the periphery thereof, synchronizer sleeve means having spacer members extending transversely of said annular flange'through the openings in the latter, the radially inwardly extending edges defining the openings in said annular flanges and the edges of said spacer members facing-said openings being provided with mating cam surfaces, spring means in each of said openings comprising a substantially closed U-shaped spring member extending transversely 'of said annular flange having leg portions extending toward each other and connected by intermediate bight portions with the bight portions thereof in engagement with the inner surfaces of said spacer members, and the corners of said spring members connecting the bight portions thereof with said leg portions being slotted in alignment with the cam surfaces on said spacer members to provide for engagement of said mating surfaces "of said openings and said'spacer members.' 7 I r 3. The synchronizer of claim 2 further characterized' by the ends'of said leg portions of said spring members being recessed adjacent their ends to form saddle portions for seating over the walls at the inner ends of theopenings in the annular'fiange of the hub member.

4. The synchronizerof claim 2 further characterized by the ends of said leg portions of said spring members'being recessed adjacent their ends to form saddle portions for seating over the walls at the: inner ends of the openings in the annular flange off-thev hub member, and by said spacer members at opposite sides of said annular flange having inwardly projecting :ears fltting into slots formed in the bight portions of the spring members for preventing circumferential movement of said spring members relative to the synchronizer sleeve.

5. Spring means for a synchronizer comprising 5 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,256,308 Bixby et a1 Sept. 16, 1941 2,391,268 Peterson et a1 Dec. 18, 1945 2,409,148 Peterson et al. Oct. 8, 1946 10 2,425,203 Peterson et a1 Aug. 5, 1947 

